Maestro Raffaele Ponti, music director and conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, explores the elements of an orchestral concert in his five “Behind the Notes” classes at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Renaissance Academy in downtown Punta Gorda. The Thursday classes are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 5; Jan. 9, 2014; Feb. 20, 2014; and March 20, 2014, with each class preceding an orchestra performance.

Anyone can enjoy a symphony performance without attending the classes, Ponti said, but they afford participants the opportunity to enjoy a “more rich and rewarding experience.” He will discuss his approach to conducting a certain concert and examine the composers, their lives and their works.

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